Higgins home page project plan

{{#eclipseproject:technology.higgins|eclipse_custom_style.css}}

About

This page focuses only on the http://eclipse.org/higgins page and a few other things that we could get done by Friday the June 20th. For a complete list of what we'd like to get done someday on the wiki/site see: Website and Wiki Backlog.

Problems to Address

Even after the work that went into improving the Higgins website/wiki prior to the feb release of 1.0, we continue to get feedback that the site is:

1. Lack of "integrity". It is confusingly mixed in with the rest of the Eclipse site. Most folks think Eclipse site is about IDE enhancements/plugins. We get comments like "that purple stuff isn't helping the Higgins cause". In reality that "purple stuff" helps Higgins enormously in various ways. But the Higgins website isn't one of them. Folks think that a project of the size and importance of Higgins should have its own site. Should be perceived of as standing on its own. They hear about Higgins, come to the site and then think "oh I must be mistaken, this looks like an IDE plugin. I wasn't looking for an IDE plugin".
2. The http://eclipse.org/higgins home page is not professionally designed. It is critical that AT LEAST the home page be well designed and communicate well
   1. Part of the problem is the highly constraining Eclipse "phoenix" look and feel
   2. Part of the problem is our lack of concise, clear text and imagery
   3. Part of the problem is a lack of a simple, clear opening message

The Plan (as of 6/14)

In progress

• Bjorn has requested that we add a "an Eclipse project" tag under the Eclipse logo. This is in process
• Bjorn has requested that we investigate clarifying if the custom search is an Eclipse or Higgins search - we will investigate next week under bugzilla item 237107
• Paul is leading the work to develop the new Scenarios content. This will involve Tim creating the scenarios buttons, and will be done after the launch of the new look and feel.
• Need to remove the scenario nav and scenario button references from the new home page
• Need to add the current news and events content
• Need to proof/test the new site
• Move it to production by June 23rd (earlier if possible).

Done

• Dan Beard has created a new look & feel.
• Tim Nihoff (designer of little Higgins) has created a new home page illustration.
• Victor has implemented the new homepage template and many of the supporting pages in the web cvs nursery area http://www.eclipse.org/higgins/nursery/index.php
• Mary will do a next iteration of the left hand nav and apply it to the "real" site (and gather feedback)
• Mary will get a quote Dan Beard of Dan Beard Design (508) 358 7627 (dan@danbearddesign.com) http://danbearddesign.com.
• Paul has completed another pass at the home page content (on this page)
• Paul has created the scenarios page concept. The 6-7 scenarios will be linked from the home page (as i-card shaped buttons) and from the Scenarios page that will be listed as a new top-level l.h. menu item "Scenarios" when ready.

New Home Page Content

The following is the exact content of the home page..

Horizontal banner across the top

• At left top: higgins mouse logo/image
• Immediately to the right of the mouse: "Higgins"
• Underneath the mouse and the word "Higgins" is the tagline "Open Source Information Cards"
• To the far right:
  • Eclipse logo at the top right
  • Below the eclipse logo is __________ + search button

Rest of the page (below the banner)

• Four vertical column layout (left to right):
  • At the left is the left-hand menu
  • wide column
  • wide column
  • narrow column

At the top of both wide, middle columns

• The following text is to the left of an illustration:
  • Information Cards (aka I-Cards) put you in control of your personal data. Each card represents a slice of the digital you (or a friend of yours) held in some data silo. Any kind of information from your preferences, favorite songs, employee id numbers, drivers licenses, affiliations, to your blood type,...you get the idea, can be accessed using a card.
• The following illustration is to the right of the above text:

 A picture of the higgins mouse holding a wallet up very close (large). 
 You can see a few cards from various aspects of a person's life (e.g. payment card,
 family photos, business card, library card, drivers licence, AAA-like affiliation card

Below the preceeding text & illustration

How to use I-Cards [heading]

• You get cards from web sites. Or you can create your own.
• You install a wallet-like software app called a selector that lets you see and manage them.
• By clicking on a card you can log into sites. No more passwords.
• By clicking on a card you express yourself. No more filling in forms.
• You can share cards with friends and businesses you trust
• Some cards create permanent connections to your friends, communities and businesses

Below the preceeding bulleted text section

Higgins and... (heading) <several i-card shaped beautifully illustrated buttons go here. See Scenarios for a description of each>

News and Events

News and Events is displayed vertically down the right hand column starting at the top (well, underneath the banner) and going all the way down

• Blah blah blah blah
• Blah blah blah blah